Sharks go faster — faux “shark-skin” speed suits? Not so much.
By Michael Frank, Adventure Journal on February 15th, 2012
Harvard scientists George Lauder and Johannes Oeffner have found that the coated, razor sharp scales of a shark disturb the flow of water to reduce drag (like a golf ball’s dimples) and also that they do something never before understood: propel the animals through the water mechanically, like thousands of tiny paddles. Then they tested fabrics that mimic sharkskin, like Speedo’s Fastskin FS II fabric, and found no such mechanical or flow-disruption effects. Lauder says there may be other advantages, such as buoyancy, however.
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